Milwaukee County Transit System unveils its first all-electric bus in modern history
The Milwaukee County Transit System unveiled its first battery electric bus Thursday night in downtown Milwaukee.
The new buses won't be on Milwaukee County streets until June, but the event gave the public a glimpse of the future.
It's the first electric vehicle in MCTS' modern history. It created new branding for the electric vehicle, called MCTS Connect. The buses will be part of the first phase of the East-West Bus Rapid Transit system, set to begin operation next year.
The East-West BRT system is a nine-mile project that will connect downtown Milwaukee, the near west side, Marquette University, Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. Construction has begun on the project.
The project is expected to average 9,500 weekday riders by 2035 and increase overall transit ridership in the corridor by 17%, MCTS said. Along the route are nine colleges and universities; eight high schools; 47,000 residents; 120,000 jobs; over 100 businesses; seven medical facilities; and 25 hotels.
Thursday's event was held on Wisconsin Avenue downtown, which is the heart of the BRT route.
Over 100 people attended the energized event, which included speakers from all of the organizations that had a role in the implementation of the electric buses, including Nova Bus, BAE Systems and ABB E-Mobility Inc.
The event also featured music from the Milwaukee Bucks' official DJ, Shawna "DJ Shawna" Nicols, and performances from local youth dance groups.
"This has been a long time coming" for MCTS and its partners, said MCTS Director of Maintenance Ron McCorkel. The project began in 2016 and, along the way, received support from the federal government, which committed $40.9 million to the project.
The buses, made by Nova Bus, a division of Volvo, are zero-emission and will reduce fossil-fuel usage. Because they're electric, the buses are also quiet. Each bus will have chimes that'll ring as the bus nears a stop so riders with visual impairments will know it arrived.
The electric bus' design is similar to the diesel buses that Milwaukeeans are familiar with. They're about the same size and the seat layout is about the same. Featured on the bus are USB charging outlets. The word "connect" is prominent on the side of the bus, which has a light blue color scheme. Fares will be the same as on diesel buses, MCTS said.
Donna Brown-Martin, director of transportation for the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation, also spoke at the event and reminded attendees of the importance of the public transit system, as well as the need to move toward an all-electric system.
"An efficient, modern transit system supports sustainable growth by moving more people in an efficient manner. ... Transit also boosts the area's economy and attracts a talented workforce and visitors to our city," Brown-Martin said.
"Public transit is the most economical and environmentally sustainable way to get people to where they want to go. Transitioning to all-electric is the path forward to saving the county, and the state, money."
Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MCTS unveils its first all-electric bus in modern history
